Shipping-tag



SHIPPING TAG. Patented Apr.24, 1883.

FIG'.1.

w. P. EDWARDS.

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(No Model.)

Fr es.

WILLIAM F. EDWARDS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SHIPPING-TAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,166, dated April24, 1883.

' Application filed February 14, 1883. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. EDWARDS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Shipping-Tags, of which the following is aspecification.

This is an improvement on the peculiarlyconstructed shipping-tag forwhich I filed an application in the United States Patent Office December1, 1882. In the present case the head of the tag, card, or label haspivoted to it a supplementary tag or card, near the freeend of which isprinted or otherwise inscribed the words From From, arranged in aninverted manner with reference to each other, said head having inscribedupon it the words To To, disposed respectively in line with the addressof the consignor and consignee. When this supplementary tag is in acertain position it indicates from whom the box or other receptacle isshipped and where it is to be delivered; but by simply swinging this tagaround to an opposite position the address then shows that the empty boxis to be returned to the consignor, as hereinafter more fully described,and pointed out in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan showing the two members ofmy tag detached from each other. Fig. 2 is a plan of the completedevice, the supplementary ta g being set to indicate from whom the boxis sent and where it is to be delivered. Fig. 3 is another plan, butshowing the supplementary tag shifted to indicate that the'empty is tobe returned to the consignor.

The main label, card, or tag, which may be made of any suitablematerial, includes the head A and two tablets or spaces, B C, said headbeing pierced at a to admit an eyelet or other pivot, E. Furthermore,these spaces B C are ruled respectively at b c, to indicate where theaddresses of the consignor and consignee are to be Written; but when agreat number of the tags are to be used the proper directions may eitherbe printed, stenciled, or otherwise portrayed on these spaces. Printedon the head A, and practically in line with the spaces B C,:are thewords To To, arranged to be read without turning the tag around.

D represents the supplementary card, label, or tag, which has near oneend an opening, (1, to admit the eyelet E, wherewith this supplementarydevice is coupled to the head A of the main tag, as seen in Figs. 2 and3. The free end of supplementary tag D has printed on it the words FromFrom, arranged in an inverted manner with reference to each other, saidtag being of such a length as to conceal one of the words To whencoupled to the main tag and turned directly across its head A. Thissupplementary tag having been properly applied to the head A, and itbeing desired to ship a box from the party whose address appears on thespace B to the party indicated on the other space, C, said tag D isdisposed transversely of head A, as seen in Fig. 2, and is then securedin this position with a tack or otherwise. The tag now shows clearlyfrom whom the box is sent and to whom it is to be delivered, the innerword From of the tagD being inverted, and therefore not liable to beread and cause confusion; but when the box or other empty is to bereturned to the consignor the supplementary tag D is swung around to anopposite position, as seen in Fig. 3, in which reversed position of saidtag the outer word From ceases to be conspicuous on account of beinginverted. It will thus be seen that the simple provision of the coupledsupplementary tag D enables one main tag to be used for an indefiniteperiod of time, provided the box is sent back and forth by the sameparties.

When the device is to be attached to bags, 860., the head A can benotched in line with the eyelet E, and the opposite edges of tag D canbe similarly notched to allow the fastening-cord to be tied therein forthe purpose of preventin g accidental shifting of said supplementary tagD. Finally,instead of the words From From and To To, the card or tag mayhave inscribed upon it other words or characters or symbols capable ofconveying similar instructions.

I claim as my invention- A shipping card, label,or tag having spaces B Cfor the address of the consignor and consignee, and a head," A,inscribed with the words To To, disposed as herein stated, said headhaving coupled to it the supplementary tag D, whose free end hasportrayed upon it the words From From, arranged in an inverted mannerwith reference to each other, for the purpose explained.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

itnesses: WILLIAllI F. EDWARDS.

J AMIES H. LAYMAN, T. S. W001).

